Systems for applying heat and pressure to sinuses

Abstract

An eye mask with an internal heating mechanism worn over the eye and sinus regions of the wearer. The eye mask provides heat and pressure to the face. A plurality of heating wires internal to the mask provide heat, the heating wires being driven by temperature and time controls contained in an external enclosure that may also contain batteries or other connections to a power source. The mask may have pockets for weighted pebbles, magnets or other material for adding weight to the mask to bring the heat closer to the face of the wearer. The mask may have a reflective material in an internal layer to reflect heat from the heating wires back to the face of the wearer. The mask may have a memory foam for molding the mask to the contours of the face, bringing heat to a greater portion of the face of the wearer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses, comprising:
 a temperature control circuit layer including at least a plurality of heating wires; 
 a weight pocket layer including at least a plurality of user-accessible weight pockets configured for adding at least one of a plurality of weights or a plurality of magnets to weightably apply pressure to the sinuses and weightably retain the plurality of heating wires substantially near sinus regions of a wearer of the light-adjustable mask; 
 a memory foam layer configured for contour-molding to a face of the wearer of the light-adjustable mask, the memory foam layer molding to the face of the wearer upon addition of heat via the plurality of heating wires; 
 circuitry for thermostatically controlling the plurality of heating wires; 
 circuitry for controlling duration of heat; 
 an infrared reflective layer configured for reflecting heat emanating away from the face of the wearer back to the face of the wearer; 
 a front layer; 
 an arrangement for permitting the light-adjustable mask to be retained in place on the face of the wearer; and 
 a power source, 
 wherein at least the temperature control circuit layer, the weight pocket layer, the memory foam layer, and the infrared reflective layer are affixed to at least form at least a portion of the light-adjustable mask that is (i) shaped to cover sinus regions of the wearer, (ii) shaped to define a recess at a bottom edge of the light-adjustable mask for permitting air to reach a nose of the wearer, and (iii) configured with two apertures facilitating vision through the light-adjustable mask for the wearer; and 
 wherein the front layer is removably affixable to an outside surface to prevent light from reaching eyes of the wearer, the front layer closing the user-accessible weight pockets upon affixing the front layer to the outside surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is an attached portable battery pack. 
     
     
       3. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 2 , wherein the attached portable battery pack is configured for receiving standard-sized batteries. 
     
     
       4. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the attached portable battery pack is an attached portable battery pack having rechargeable batteries, wherein the battery pack may be connected to a charger. 
     
     
       5. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is an alternating current connection to household power. 
     
     
       6. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature control circuit layer is insulated with at least one layer of insulating material. 
     
     
       7. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the infrared reflective layer is a biaxially-oriented infrared reflective layer. 
     
     
       8. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the user-accessible weighted pockets are expandable to accommodate a greater volume of weights or magnets. 
     
     
       9. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the memory foam layer facilitates application of heat and pressure to a greater portion of the face of the wearer upon the contour-molding to the face of the wearer subsequent to absorption of heat by the memory foam layer from the plurality of heating wires. 
     
     
       10. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the front layer is at least one of translucent or opaque for enabling the wearer to at least partially see through the front layer. 
     
     
       11. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the two apertures facilitating vision through the light-adjustable mask are at least one of transparent, translucent, or opaque. 
     
     
       12. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein a layer of the light-adjustable mask adjacent to the face of the wearer includes recesses for eyes of the wearer. 
     
     
       13. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the wearer can select only on or off settings associated with the plurality of heating wires. 
     
     
       14. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the wearer can select from multiple temperature settings. 
     
     
       15. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry for thermostatically controlling the plurality of heating wires includes at least one temperature sensor to automatically control power to the plurality of heating wires in accordance with a desired temperature. 
     
     
       16. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry for controlling duration of heat includes at least a timer that deactivates the plurality of heating wires after a pre-determined time period. 
     
     
       17. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the memory foam layer is configured for retaining an imprint of facial features of the wearer subsequent to absorption of heat by the memory foam layer from the plurality of heating wires. 
     
     
       18. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the light-adjustable mask is configured for covering at least the frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, and maxillary sinus regions of the wearer. 
     
     
       19. The light-adjustable mask for applying heat and pressure to sinuses of  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement for permitting the light-adjustable mask to be retained in place on the face of the wearer includes at least one elastic strap configured for wrapping around a head of the wearer.